Malaysia Airlines jetliner disaster

Family members of those onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight walk to their car outside a hotel in Putrajaya March 9, 2014. (REUTERS/Samsul Said)REUTERS

Indian sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik applies the final touches to a sand art sculpture he created wishing for the well being of the passengers of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, on a beach in Puri, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, March 9, 2014. (REUTERS/Stringer)REUTERS

Family members of those onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cry at a hotel in Putrajaya March 9, 2014. (REUTERS/Samsul Said)REUTERS

A Vietnamese Air Force officer takes photos from a search and rescue aircraft in the search area for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane, 250 km from Vietnam and 190 km from Malaysia, in this handout photo from Thanh Nien Newpaper taken March 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Trung Hieu/Thanh Nien Newspaper)REUTERS

Volunteer rescue workers and religious organizations pray during multi-religion mass prayers for the passengers of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang March 9, 2014. (REUTERS/Edgar Su)REUTERS

A relative of a passenger of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cries as she walks past journalists at a hotel in Beijing March 9, 2014. (REUTERS/Jason Lee)REUTERS

A relative (bottom R) of a passenger of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cries as she walks past journalists at a hotel in Beijing March 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Chance Chan)REUTERS

A woman, whose husband is a passenger of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, complains about Malaysia Airlines to journalists as she attempts to leave a hotel in Beijing, March 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Jason Lee)REUTERS

A relative (woman in white) of a passenger onboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cries as she talks on her mobile phone at the Beijing Capital International Airport March 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)REUTERS

A relative (front) of a passenger of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cries as she walks past journalists at a hotel in Beijing March 9, 2014. (REUTERS/Jason Lee)REUTERS

A Vietnamese Air Force officer in a search and rescue aircraft takes notes as he searches for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane, 250 km from Vietnam and 190 km from Malaysia, March 9, 2014. (REUTERS/Stringer)REUTERS

A Chinese relative of a passenger of Malaysia Airlines MH370 is comforted by a staff member of the airport as she shields her face from journalists at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang March 10, 2014. (REUTERS/Edgar Su)REUTERS

Rescue officials and journalists sits onboard a Vietnam Air Force search and rescue aircraft An-26 on a mission to find the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, at a military airport in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City March 10, 2014. (REUTERS/Kham)REUTERS

A girl lights a candle next to a message that reads "Pray for MH370" during a candlelight vigil held by ethnic Malaysian Chinese for the passengers of Malaysia Airlines MH370 near Independence Square in Kuala Lumpur March 10, 2014. (REUTERS/Edgar Su)REUTERS

Military personnel work within the cockpit of a helicopter belonging to the Vietnamese airforce during a search and rescue mission off Vietnam's Tho Chu island March 10, 2014. (REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha)REUTERS

Relatives of a passenger onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cry inside a hotel they are staying, in Putrajaya March 10, 2014. (REUTERS/Samsul Said)REUTERS

A map of a flight plan is seen on a computer screen during a meeting before a mission to find the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that disappeared from radar screens in the early hours of Saturday, at Phu Quoc Airport on Phu Quoc Island March 10, 2014. (REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha)REUTERS

A woman uses her mobile phone as she stands against a chalkboard with messages for family members of passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, at an event to express solidarity in Subang Jaya March 16, 2014. Police are combing through the personal, political and religious backgrounds of pilots and crew of the missing Malaysian jetliner, a senior officer said on Sunday, trying to work out why someone aboard flew the plane hundreds of miles off course. REUTERS/Samsul Said REUTERS

A woman writes a message for family members of passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 at an event to express solidarity in Subang Jaya March 16, 2014. Police are combing through the personal, political and religious backgrounds of pilots and crew of the missing Malaysian jetliner, a senior officer said on Sunday, trying to work out why someone aboard flew the plane hundreds of miles off course. Picture taken through colourful decorations at the event. REUTERS/Samsul SaidREUTERS

A message for pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah (C), captain of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, is pictured at an event to express solidarity to the family members of passengers onboard the plane, in Subang Jaya March 16, 2014. Police are combing through the personal, political and religious backgrounds of pilots and crew of the missing Malaysian jetliner, a senior officer said on Sunday, trying to work out why someone aboard flew the plane hundreds of miles off course. REUTERS/Samsul Said REUTERS

A Malaysian Army paratrooper patrols at the viewing gallery of the departure hall at Kuala Lumpur International Airport March 16, 2014. Police are combing through the personal, political and religious backgrounds of pilots and crew of a missing Malaysian jetliner, a senior officer said on Sunday, trying to work out why someone aboard flew the plane hundreds of miles off course. No trace of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER has been found since it vanished on March 8 with 239 people on board, but investigators believe it was diverted by someone who knew how to switch off its communications and tracking systems. REUTERS/Edgar SuREUTERS

A woman writes well wishes on a banner for passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport March 16, 2014. REUTERS/Edgar Su REUTERS

Passengers queue up for custom checks at Kuala Lumpur International Airport March 16, 2014. Police are combing through the personal, political and religious backgrounds of pilots and crew of a missing Malaysian jetliner, a senior officer said on Sunday, trying to work out why someone aboard flew the plane hundreds of miles off course. No trace of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER has been found since it vanished on March 8 with 239 people on board, but investigators believe it was diverted by someone who knew how to switch off its communications and tracking systems. REUTERS/Edgar Su REUTERS

A woman leaves a messages of support and hope for the passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 in central Kuala Lumpur March 16, 2014. Police are combing through the personal, political and religious backgrounds of pilots and crew of the missing Malaysian jetliner, a senior officer said on Sunday, trying to work out why someone aboard flew the plane hundreds of miles off course. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj REUTERS

REFILE - ADDING INFO
Passengers have their belongings screened by airport security at the departure hall of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport March 16, 2014. Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Saturday that the investigation would refocus on the crew and passengers of Flight MH370, after confirming that someone aboard appeared to have shut off the plane's communication systems before turning it away from its scheduled route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. REUTERS/Edgar Su REUTERS

A woman holds a candle during a special prayer for passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 at the Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur March 19, 2014. REUTERS/Samsul SaidREUTERS

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) crew members from of an AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft walk down a ladder after they arrived in Perth March 20, 2014 after searching an area in the southern Indian Ocean for the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Aircraft and ships ploughed through bad weather on Thursday in search of floating objects in remote seas off Australia that Malaysia's government called a "credible lead" in the trans-continental hunt for a jetliner missing for 12 days. REUTERS/Tony Turner (AUSTRALIA - Tags: MILITARY TRANSPORT) NO SALES. NO ARCHIVESREUTERS

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) crew members from of an AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft walk down a ladder after they arrived in Perth March 20, 2014 after searching an area in the southern Indian Ocean for the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Aircraft and ships ploughed through bad weather on Thursday in search of floating objects in remote seas off Australia that Malaysia's government called a "credible lead" in the trans-continental hunt for a jetliner missing for 12 days. REUTERS/Tony TurnerREUTERS

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilot, Flight Lieutenant Russell Adams from 10 Squadron, steers his AP-3C Orion over the Southern Indian Ocean during the search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force March 20, 2014. Aircraft and ships ploughed through bad weather on Thursday in search of floating objects in remote seas off Australia that Malaysia's government called a "credible lead" in the trans-continental hunt for a jetliner missing for 12 days. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/handoutREUTERS

A girl reads some of the messages of hope and support for the passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 at a mall outside Kuala Lumpur March 22, 2014. Two weeks after a Malaysian airliner carrying 239 people vanished, international teams stepped up their search deep in the southern Indian Ocean on Saturday, as a Malaysian minister expressed fear a possible sighting of debris may be another false lead. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj REUTERS

Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein holds up a note that he has just received on a new lead in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, during a news conference at Kuala Lumpur International Airport March 22, 2014. Chinese satellites have spotted objects floating in the southern search area for the missing aircraft that could be debris and has sent ships to investigate, Malaysia said on Saturday. REUTERS/Edgar Su REUTERS

A woman hangs another message of hope and support for the passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 at a mall outside Kuala Lumpur March 22, 2014. Two weeks after a Malaysian airliner carrying 239 people vanished, international teams stepped up their search deep in the southern Indian Ocean on Saturday, as a Malaysian minister expressed fear a possible sighting of debris may be another false lead. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj REUTERS

A crew member aboard a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion uses binoculars as it flies over the southern Indian Ocean during the search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 March 22, 2014. China said on Saturday it had a new satellite image of what could be wreckage from a missing Malaysian airliner, as more planes and ships headed to join an international search operation scouring some of the remotest seas on Earth. REUTERS/Rob GriffithREUTERS

A screen shows the questions from family members of passengers onboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 after a routine briefing given by Malaysia's government and military representatives at Lido Hotel in Beijing March 22, 2014. Two weeks after a Malaysia Airlines airliner went missing with 239 people on board, officials are bracing for the "long haul" as searches by more than two dozen countries turn up little but frustration and fresh questions. REUTERS/Jason LeeREUTERS

Flight Lieutenant Jason Nichols aboard a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion, looks ahead towards the Australian navy ship HMAS Success as they search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 over the southern Indian Ocean March 22, 2014. China said on Saturday it had a new satellite image of what could be wreckage from a missing Malaysian airliner, as more planes and ships headed to join an international search operation scouring some of the remotest seas on Earth. REUTERS/Rob Griffith REUTERS

A still image taken from video on March 22, 2014 shows an image of an object spotted in the southern Indian Ocean by the Gaofen-1 high-resolution optical Earth observation satellite of CNSA (China National Space Administration). Chinese satellites have spotted objects floating in the southern search area for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 aircraft that could be debris and has sent ships to investigate, Malaysia said on Saturday. REUTERS/CCTV Reuters

A satellite image taken on March 18, 2014 of an object spotted in the southern Indian Ocean by the Gaofen-1 high-resolution optical Earth observation satellite CNSA (China National Space Administration). Chinese satellites have spotted the new object in the southern Indian Ocean that could be wreckage from the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 carrying 239 people, and ships are on their way to investigate, China and Malaysia said on March 22, 2014. REUTERS/CNS Photo REUTERS

Satellite imagery provided to Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) of objects that may be possible debris of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in a revised area 185 km (115 miles) to the south east of the original search area in this picture released by AMSA March 20, 2014. A Search aircraft are investigating two objects floating in the southern Indian Ocean off Australia that could be debris from a Malaysian jetliner missing for 12 days with 239 people on board, officials said on Thursday. Australian officials said the objects were spotted by satellite in one of the remotest parts of the globe, around 2,500 km (1,500 miles) southwest of Perth in the vast oceans between Australia, southern Africa and Antarctica. REUTERS/Australian Maritime Safety Authority/Handout via REUTERS REUTERS

Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak makes an announcement on the latest development on the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane at Putra World Trade Center in Kuala Lumpur March 24, 2014. Prime Minister Najib has told families of passengers of a missing Malaysian airliner that the plane ended its journey in the southern Indian Ocean, he said on Monday. REUTERS/Edgar SuREUTERS

Co-Pilot Flying Officer Marc Smith (L) and crewmen fly at high altitude aboard a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion aircraft after searching for the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 over the southern Indian Ocean March 24, 2014. An Australian aircraft scouring the southern Indian Ocean for signs of a Malaysia Airlines jet missing for more than two weeks has spotted two new objects, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Monday. Abbott told parliament an Australian naval vessel was near where the objects, one circular and greenish grey in colour and the second orange and rectangular, had been seen and hoped to be able to recover them soon. Picture taken March 24, 2014. REUTERS/Richard Wainwright/PoolREUTERS

A family member of a passenger aboard Malaysia Airlines MH370 cries after watching a television broadcast of a news conference, at Lido hotel in Beijing, March 24, 2014. Relatives of Chinese passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight reacted with hysteria on Monday after the Malaysian prime minister announced the jet ended its journey in the remote Southern Indian Ocean. REUTERS/Jason LeeREUTERS

Lit candles are placed in front of a message board dedicated to passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 before relatives pray at Lido Hotel in Beijing March 24, 2014. A Chinese military aircraft searching for the missing aircraft spotted several "suspicious" floating objects on Monday in remote seas off Australia, increasing the likelihood that the wreckage of the plane may soon be found. The message reads, "Sincerely pray for relatives to be safe and sound. Mankind to live in peace and free from pain and suffering. Wishing for good thoughts and kindness to sustain the earth. The world to be filled with love and care." REUTERS/Jason LeeREUTERS

Members of Japan's disaster relief team wave off a Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force Lockheed P-3C Orion aircraft as it prepares to take off from RAAF base Pearce to search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in Bullsbrook, near Perth, March 24, 2014. A Chinese military aircraft searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner spotted several "suspicious" floating objects on Monday in remote seas off Australia, increasing the likelihood that the wreckage of the plane may soon be found. REUTERS/Jason ReedReuters

Suspicious objects are seen from a Chinese IL-76 search plane, March 24, 2014. A Chinese Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft discovered "suspicious objects" in the southern Indian Ocean on Monday, the official Xinhua news agency reported, raising the possibility that they could be from a Malaysia Airlines plane missing for over two weeks. REUTERS/Huang Shubo/XinhuaREUTERS

A Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat moves off from the Australian Navy ship, HMAS Success, as it travels to investigate a potential object sighting in the southern Indian Ocean during the search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force March 25, 2014. Australian search and rescue authorities said on Tuesday bad weather and rough seas had forced the suspension of the hunt for a Malaysian jetliner missing for more than two weeks, scuppering hopes for a speedy recovery of suspected debris. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said gale force winds, heavy rain and low cloud meant planes could not fly safely, and heavy seas meant an Australian navy ship was leaving the area where possible debris had been sighted on Monday. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/Handout via ReutersREUTERS

A man reads a local newspaper with its front page showing ocean gyre in the Indian Ocean might be affecting search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, in Kuala Lumpur March 22, 2014. Two weeks after a Malaysia Airlines jet carrying 239 people vanished, an international search deep in the southern Indian Ocean stepped up on Saturday even as Australia cautioned the investigation's best lead remained a tentative one. REUTERS/Samsul Said REUTERS

Satellite images taken on March 24 of floating objects in the southern Indian Ocean released by Thailand's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) are seen in this handout provided by GISTDA on March 27, 2014. "We detected floating objects, perhaps more than 300," Anond Snidvongs, the head of GISTDA, Thailand's space technology development agency, told Reuters. "We have never said that the pieces are part of MH370 but have so far identified them only as floating objects." REUTERS/Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency/Handout via ReutersReuters

Flight Lieutenant Jayson Nichols looks out the cockpit of a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion aircraft over clouds while searching for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 over the southern Indian Ocean March 27, 2014. Severe weather on Thursday halted the air search for a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet presumed crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, frustrating hopes of finding what new satellite images showed could be a large debris field. REUTERS/Michael Martina Reuters

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airborne Electronics Analyst Sergeant Patrick Manser looks out of an observation window aboard a RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft during the search in the southern Indian Ocean for debris from the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force April 1, 2014. The last words from the cockpit of the missing Malaysian airliner were a standard "Good night Malaysian three seven zero", Malaysian authorities said almost four weeks after Flight MH370 vanished, changing their account of the critical last communication from a more casual "All right, good night." Painstaking analysis of radar data and limited satellite information has focused the search on a vast, inhospitable swathe of the southern Indian Ocean west of the Australian city of Perth, but has so far failed to spot any sign of it. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/Handout via Reuters REUTERS

A piece of unknown debris floats just under the water in this image taken from a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion maritime search aircraft while flying over the southern Indian Ocean looking for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 March 31, 2014. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Monday the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 had no time limit, despite the failure of an international operation to find any sign of the plane in three weeks of fruitless searching. A total of 20 aircraft and ships were again scouring a massive area in the Indian Ocean some 2,000 km (1,200 miles) west of Perth, where investigators believe the Boeing 777 carrying 239 people came down. REUTERS/Rob Griffith/Pool REUTERS

Maritime Warfare Officer, Sub Lieutenant Officer Samuel Archibald, looks through binoculars on the bridge of the Australian Navy ship HMAS Perth in the southern Indian Ocean, during the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force on April 8, 2014. A robotic search vehicle is likely to be sent deep into the Indian Ocean on Tuesday to look for wreckage of the missing Malaysian jetliner on the sea floor, as officials say the chance of finding anything on the surface has dwindled. Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency coordinating the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, said the month-long hunt was at a critical stage given the black box recorder batteries were dying - or had died. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/Handout via Reuters REUTERS

Able Seaman Clearance Divers Matthew Johnston and Michael Arnold embarked on Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield, scan the water for debris in the search zone in the southern Indian Ocean for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force April 8, 2014. A robotic search vehicle is likely to be sent deep into the Indian Ocean on Tuesday to look for wreckage of a missing Malaysian jetliner on the sea floor, as officials say the chance of finding anything on the surface has dwindled. Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency coordinating the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, said the month-long hunt was at a critical stage given the black box recorder batteries were dying - or had died. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/Handout REUTERS

A fast response craft from Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield tows Able Seaman Clearance Diver Michael Arnold as he searches the ocean for debris in the search zone in the southern Indian Ocean for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force April 8, 2014. A robotic search vehicle is likely to be sent deep into the Indian Ocean on Tuesday to look for wreckage of a missing Malaysian jetliner on the sea floor, as officials say the chance of finding anything on the surface has dwindled. Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency coordinating the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, said the month-long hunt was at a critical stage given the black box recorder batteries were dying - or had died. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/HandoutREUTERS

The crew aboard Royal Malaysian Navy ship KD LEKIU conducts a replenishment at sea evolution with Australian Navy ship HMAS Success in the southern Indian Ocean during the continuing search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force April 7, 2014. Australian officials said on Monday signals picked up by a black box detector attached to an Australian ship searching for MH370 were consistent with aircraft flight recorders. Confirmation of whether the signals were emitted from the Kuala Lumpur-to-Beijing bound plane, missing since March 8 with 239 people on board, could take several days, according to Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency coordinating the search. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/Handout via Reuters REUTERS

Zhang Zhiliang, 27-year-old Tianjin resident, looks at a board covered with pictures of his fiancee Li Jie, a passenger on board the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370, at their leased apartment in Tianjin, April 5, 2014. Li, who worked as an executive assistant at a firm in Beijing, went on a business trip to Malaysia on March 6. Zhang and Li were engaged earlier this year and planned to register for their marriage on March 23. Picture taken April 5, 2014. REUTERS/Tencent/Muyi REUTERS

Gunner Richard Brown (L) of Transit Security Element looks through binoculars as he stands on lookout with other crew members aboard the Australian Navy ship HMAS Perth as they continue to search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force April 10, 2014. The hunt for missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 is on track to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, becoming the most expensive search in aviation history with 26 countries contributing planes, ships, submarines and satellites to the international effort. A month into the search for the jet, estimates compiled by Reuters show that at least $44 million has already been spent on the deployment of military ships and aircraft in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea by Australia, China, the United States and Vietnam. The figure is based on defence force statistics on available hourly costs of various assets, estimates by defence analysts and costs reported by the Pentagon. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/Handout via Reuters REUTERS

A woman looks at support messages for the relatives of the passengers onboard missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 inside a shopping mall in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur, April 8, 2014. An Australian ship which picked up possible "pings" from the black box recorders of a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner has been unable to detect any further signals and time is running out to narrow the massive search, officials said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Samsul SaidREUTERS

Crew members are seen aboard a fast response craft (R) from the Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield (L) as they continue to search for debris of the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean, in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force on April 8, 2014. Australian officials said on April 9, 2014 that two new "ping" signals had been detected in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew. Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency coordinating the search, said one ping was detected on the afternoon of April 8 and lasted five minutes, 25 seconds, while a second was picked up that night and lasted seven minutes. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/Handout via Reuters REUTERS

A USNS Cesar Chavez's helicopter, a Super Puma, carries supplies next to ships Australian Navy ships HMAS Success as they conduct a Replenishment at Sea with United States Navy Ship (USNS) Cesar Chavez (not pictured) in the southern Indian Ocean as they continue to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in this handpout picture released by the Australian Defence Force April 15, 2014. A U.S. Navy underwater drone sent to search for a missing Malaysian jetliner on the floor of the Indian Ocean had its first mission cut short after exceeding its 4.5 km (2.8 mile) depth limit, Australian search authorities said on Tuesday.The launch of the Bluefin-21 autonomous underwater vehicle on Monday marked a new phase in the six week search for Malaysia Airlines MH370 which disappeared on March 8 and is presumed to have crashed thousands of kilometres (miles) off course with the loss of all 239 people on board. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/Handout via ReutersREUTERS

The Chinese Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) vessel Hai Xin 01 is seen from a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-3K2 Orion aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean, as the search continues for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 April 13, 2014. Australian officials leading the search for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane in the southern Indian Ocean are weighing when to deploy an underwater robot to aid in the hunt, now in its sixth fruitless week. MH370 disappeared soon after taking off on March 8 from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, triggering a multinational search that is now focused on the Indian Ocean. Picture taken April 13, 2014. REUTERS/Greg Wood/Pool REUTERS

A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion aircraft flies past the British naval ship HMS Echo in the southern Indian Ocean as they continue to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in this handout picture released by the Australian Defence Force April 15, 2014. A U.S. Navy underwater drone sent to search for a missing Malaysian jetliner on the floor of the Indian Ocean had its first mission cut short after exceeding its 4.5 km (2.8 mile) depth limit, Australian search authorities said on Tuesday.The launch of the Bluefin-21 autonomous underwater vehicle on Monday marked a new phase in the six week search for Malaysia Airlines MH370 which disappeared on March 8 and is presumed to have crashed thousands of kilometres (miles) off course with the loss of all 239 people on board. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/Handout via Reuters REUTERS

A rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) is deployed from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ship HMAS Perth after it was guided into position by a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-3K2 Orion aircraft to recover an object in the southern Indian Ocean, as the search continues for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 April 13, 2014. Australian officials leading the search for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane in the southern Indian Ocean are weighing when to deploy an underwater robot to aid in the hunt, now in its sixth fruitless week. MH370 disappeared soon after taking off on March 8 from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, triggering a multinational search that is now focused on the Indian Ocean. Picture taken April 13, 2014. REUTERS/Greg Wood/PoolREUTERS

Pilot and captain Flight Lieutenant Timothy McAlevey (R), and flight engineer Chris Poole look from the cockpit of a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-3K2 Orion aircraft, as they fly over the southern Indian Ocean to continue the search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 April 13, 2014. Australian officials leading the search for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane in the southern Indian Ocean are weighing when to deploy an underwater robot to aid in the hunt, now in its sixth fruitless week. MH370 disappeared soon after taking off on March 8 from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, triggering a multinational search that is now focused on the Indian Ocean. Picture taken April 13, 2014. REUTERS/Greg Wood/PoolREUTERS

International and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) air crews and officials, that participated in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines plane MH370, pose for a photograph on the tarmac at the RAAF Base Pearce, located north of Perth, in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force on April 29, 2014. The chance of finding floating debris from a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner has become highly unlikely, and a new phase of the search would focus on a far larger area of the Indian Ocean floor, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Monday. The international search effort for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished on March 8 with 239 people on board, has so far failed to turn up any trace of wreckage from the plane. Given the amount of time that has elapsed, Abbott said that efforts would now shift away from the visual searches conducted by planes and ships and towards underwater equipment capable of scouring the ocean floor with sophisticated sensors. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/Handout via Reuters REUTERS

A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion aircraft flies past the British naval ship HMS Echo in the southern Indian Ocean as they continue to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in this handout picture released by the Australian Defence Force April 15, 2014. A U.S. Navy underwater drone sent to search for a missing Malaysian jetliner on the floor of the Indian Ocean had its first mission cut short after exceeding its 4.5 km (2.8 mile) depth limit, Australian search authorities said on Tuesday.The launch of the Bluefin-21 autonomous underwater vehicle on Monday marked a new phase in the six week search for Malaysia Airlines MH370 which disappeared on March 8 and is presumed to have crashed thousands of kilometres (miles) off course with the loss of all 239 people on board. REUTERS/Australian Defence Force/Handout via Reuters REUTERS

KUALA LUMPUR/PHU QUOC ISLAND, Vietnam – Officials investigating the disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines jetliner with 239 people on board suspect it may have disintegrated in mid-flight, a senior source said on Sunday, as Vietnam reported a possible sighting of wreckage from the plane.

International police agency Interpol confirmed that two passengers on the flight had used stolen Austrian and Italian passports, raising suspicions of foul play.

An Interpol spokeswoman said a check of all documents used to board the plane had revealed more "suspect passports" that were being further investigated. She was unable to say how many, or from which country or countries.

Malaysia’s state news agency quoted Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying the passengers using the stolen European passports were of Asian appearance, and criticising border officials who let them through.

"I am still perturbed. Can’t these immigration officials think? Italian and Austrian (passport holders) but with Asian faces," he was quoted as saying late on Sunday.

Nearly 48 hours after the last contact with Flight MH370, mystery surrounded its fate. Malaysia’s air force chief said the Beijing-bound airliner may have turned back from its scheduled route before it vanished from radar screens.

"The fact that we are unable to find any debris so far appears to indicate that the aircraft is likely to have disintegrated at around 35,000 feet," a source involved in the investigations in Malaysia told Reuters.

If the plane had plunged intact from close to its cruising altitude, breaking up only on impact with the water, search teams would have expected to find a fairly concentrated pattern of debris, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the investigation publicly.

Asked about the possibility of an explosion, such as a bomb, the source said there was no evidence yet of foul play and that the aircraft could have broken up due to mechanical causes.

Boeing, the maker of the 777-200ER, declined to comment and referred to its earlier statement which said it was monitoring the situation.

Dozens of military and civilian vessels have been criss-crossing waters beneath the aircraft’s flight path, but have found no confirmed trace of the lost plane, although oil slicks have been reported in the sea south of Vietnam and east of Malaysia.

Late on Sunday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said on its website that a Vietnamese navy plane had spotted an object in the sea suspected of being part of the plane, but that it was too dark to be certain. Search planes were set to return to investigate the suspected debris at daybreak.

WIDENING SEARCH

"The outcome so far is there is no sign of the aircraft," Malaysian civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said.

"On the possibility of hijack, we are not ruling out any possibility," he told reporters.

The Malaysian authorities said they were widening the search to cover vast swathes of sea around Malaysia and off Vietnam, and were investigating at least two passengers who were using false identity documents.

The passenger manifest issued by the airline included the names of two Europeans – Austrian Christian Kozel and Italian Luigi Maraldi – who, according to their foreign ministries, were not on the plane. Both had apparently had their passports stolen in Thailand during the past two years.

The BBC reported that the men falsely using their passports had purchased tickets together and were due to fly on to Europe from Beijing, meaning they did not have to apply for a Chinese visa and undergo further checks.

An employee at a travel agency in Pattaya, in Thailand, told Reuters the two had purchased the tickets there.

Interpol maintains a vast database of more than 40 million lost and stolen travel documents, and has long urged member countries to make greater use of it to stop people crossing borders on false papers.

The global police organisation confirmed that Kozel’s and Maraldi’s passports had both been added to the database after their theft in 2012 and 2013 respectively. But it said no country had consulted the database to check either of them since the time they were stolen.

"Whilst it is too soon to speculate about any connection between these stolen passports and the missing plane, it is clearly of great concern that any passenger was able to board an international flight using a stolen passport listed in Interpol’s databases," Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble said in a statement.

In a sign that Malaysia’s airport controls may have been breached, Prime Minister Najib Razak said security procedures were being reviewed.

FOUR SUSPECTS

Malaysian Transport Minister Hishamuddin Hussein said authorities were also checking the identities of two other passengers. He said help was also being sought from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). However, an attack was only one of the possibilities being investigated.

"We are looking at all possibilities," he said. "We cannot jump the gun. Our focus now is to find the plane."

The 11-year-old Boeing 777-200ER, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines, took off at 12:40 a.m. on Saturday(1640 GMT Friday) from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board.

It last had contact with air traffic controllers 120 nautical miles off the east coast of the Malaysian town of Kota Bharu. Flight tracking website flightaware.com showed it flew northeast after takeoff, climbed to 35,000 ft (10,670 metres) and was still climbing when it vanished from tracking records.

There were no reports of bad weather.

"What we have done is actually look into the recording on the radar that we have and we realised there is a possibility the aircraft did make a turnback," Rodzali Daud, the Royal Malaysian Air Force chief, told reporters at a news conference.

The search was being extended to the west coast of the Malay peninsula, in addition to a broad expanse of the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, he said.

Vietnamese naval boats sent from the holiday island of Phu Quoc patrolled stretches of the Gulf of Thailand, scouring the area where an oil slick was spotted by patrol jets just before nightfall on Saturday.

Besides the Vietnamese vessels, Malaysia and neighbouring countries have deployed 34 aircraft and 40 ships in the search. China and the United States have sent ships to help, and Washington has also deployed a maritime surveillance plane.

U.S. officials from Boeing, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration were on the way to Asia to help in investigations, NTSB said in a statement. Boeing said it was monitoring the situation but had no further comment.

The airline has said 14 nationalities were among the passengers, including at least 152 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, seven Indonesians, six Australians, five Indians, four French and three Americans.

TIMELINE

SATURDAY, MARCH 8

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Flight departs at 12:21 a.m. (1421 GMT Friday), and is due to land in Beijing at 6:30 a.m. (2230 GMT) the same day

On board the Boeing 777-200ER are 227 passengers and 12 crew.

Airline loses contact with plane between 1-2 hours after takeoff.

No distress signal is given, and weather is clear at the time.

Missing plane last has contact with air traffic controllers 120 nautical miles off the east coast of the Malaysian town of Kota Bharu.

Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) says plane failed to check in as scheduled at 1721 GMT while flying over sea between Malaysia and Ho Chi Minh City.

Flight tracking website flightaware.com shows plane flew northeast over Malaysia after takeoff and climbed to altitude of 35,000 feet. The flight vanished from website’s tracking records a minute later while still climbing.

Malaysia and Vietnam conduct joint search and rescue operation. China says dispatches two maritime rescue ships to the South China Sea to help in search and rescue. U.S. says also sends ships and plane to help.

Malaysia search ships see no sign of wreckage in area where flights last made contact.

Airline says flight was carrying 154 people from China and Taiwan, 38 Malaysians, seven Indonesians and six Australians. Manifest shows other nationalities as being from: India, France, United States, New Zealand, Ukraine, Canada, Russia, Italy, the Netherlands and Austria.

Radar indicates flight may have turned back from its scheduled route to Beijing before disappearing.

Malaysian rescue teams expand their search to the country’s western coast.

Malaysian authorities pore over CCTV footage and question immigration officers and guards at Kuala Lumpur’s international airport, concerned that a security breach may be connected to incident.

Interpol says at least two passports recorded as lost or stolen in its database were used by passengers, and it is "examining additional suspect passports".

Malaysia’s state news agency quotes Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying the passengers using the stolen European passports were of Asian appearance.

Investigators narrow focus of inquiries on possibility plane disintegrated in mid-flight, a source who is involved in the investigations in Malaysia tells Reuters.

Vietnamese navy plane spots an object suspected of belonging to the airliners. Too dark to be certain the object is part of plane. More aircraft to be dispatched to investigate the site, in waters off southern Vietnam, in the morning.

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